Friday, September 28, 2012

This has been a very long, exhausting week for me so I'm relieved that it's time for the weekend.

J + his best friend, Victor, are headed to the Alchemy Festival (can't wait to hear the stories they come back with - I'm sure it'll be interesting). So that means it's just me + Townes this weekend (i.e., lots of walks and cuddle time).

I have a dog park date with my close friend, Anna this evening and then I'm going to dinner with some great friends afterwards. Tomorrow will be filled with Zumba class and then some R&R.

Sunday, I'm hoping to go to the annual 10th & Flow yoga event in Piedmont park with my sweet friend, Carla. It'll be great to spend some quality time with her and yoga is an added bonus!

After my positive post earlier this week (sarcasm anyone?), I am trying to make the most of my time by spending time with those people that I love so much and trying to focus on building new friendships.

Happy weekend y'all. Hope you are all able to get outside and take advantage of Your State Parks Day on Saturday (9/29) with free admission to all of Georgia's state parks!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

He makes my days better, every-single-time. He is honest with me, yet gentle with his words. He takes more of the weight when I am feeling weak. He works so hard and loves with all that he has. He makes me so proud to be by his side.

It's crazy that in 2 weeks, we will have been married for 3 years now and together for almost 7.5 years. Every day gets better and better.

♥

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love" - Mother Teresa

I am loving these purses and clutches by the Made By Hank shop!
The colors and different fabrics combined with the leather straps are so fun and unique. These would be great to pair with some dark skinny jeans and a t-shirt for Fall. I love simple accessories that can make an outfit all on their own.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Sighs.
I typically try to keep this blog fairly light since there's really no use in giving attention to negativity.

I read this article a few months ago about how hard it is to make friends after a certain stage in our lives (i.e., pretty much after college). I enjoyed the article a great deal and found it very interesting; however, I felt like I was a bit different. I still felt like I was finding new friends and making the most of every relationship; however, I will agree that finding lasting friendships has become more difficult.

As we get older, other things get prioritized: our partners, our jobs, our babies (human/ furry), etc. An effort has to be made to show the other person that you value their friendship and that their time and company is very important to you. Friends have come and gone, some due to distance and some due to misunderstandings. In my struggles with losing people in my life, J has always reminded me that you have to change your expectations of people. This has been such an important lesson for me.

Relationships evolve and you cannot always trust that someone will continue to be a positive person in your life. When they make you feel bad, it's time to take a step back and slowly re-evaluate their access to you in the way that protects your feelings. That is the only piece you can control.
This is with all relationships: friends, family, and/ or partners.

With that being said, I have still always felt very confident (and lucky) in the friends that I do have: the ones that you can be away from for months at a time and still feel like not a day has passed, those you know will make the effort to see you (and vice verse), and the ones who will always celebrate life with you.

I think I'm at a point where I don't want to ever stop meeting new people and being open to trusting new friends; however, sometimes I just need to make sure I'm investing on the dear friends that are always worth it.

Monday, September 24, 2012

After J was in training all last week, we didn't get much time together so after a 3+ mile run on Friday night, we enjoyed a nice dinner together at our neighborhood bar, Meltons App and Tap. We ended the night watching The Five-Year Engagement together (for the record, there were some good scenes, but overall it wasn't anything to write home about).

On Saturday morning, I went to Zumba and then we went to Stone Mountain to go hike the 5 mile Cherokee Trail (a family favorite, especially for Townes). The weather was a bit warm, but we had a great time! I cannot wait for the leaves to start changing!

On Sunday, we did another 3+ mile run (J is running an average of 5-6 miles every run now - he is a rockstar). We went over to the in-laws' house to celebrate my FIL's belated birthday. We spent the day canoeing at Tribble Mill Park - it was incredible. The weather, breeze, lily pads, and wildlife (tons of turtles and egrets) made for a perfect day. It's so nice to have parents that enjoy nature and doing outdoor activities.

For dinner, we cooked out and ate on the back deck. J + I got J's dad an assortment of snacks and goodies for his birthday. The highlight for Steve was the Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee - it is his favorite! J + I made him some beignets to go with the coffee and give him the full New Orleans taste. I think he really enjoyed it which made us so happy to see!

On Saturday, I woke up to a beautiful light entering the carriage house. I made some coffee in the french press and caught up on some reading while I let the boys sleep in.

Aren't they the cutest? I am so lucky!

After we ate some breakfast, we headed out to Fort Pulaski. It came highly suggested by my friend Kristen (who we sadly didn't get to see). It was fun to get out with Townes, but the heat and humidity was a bit much for our furry kid. He enjoyed the moat and the jumping fish, but he wasn't a fan of the fort really (or the kids and loud noises).

When we got home, Townes was tuckered out. So we headed to lunch down the street at Sol Restaurant where we gorged on jalapeno poppers and then I had a fried hearts of palm taco with sweet potato fries. It was so not good for me (health-wise) but tasted amazing!

After our very late lunch, we headed back to the carriage house to get ready for the wedding!

Our friends Shayda + Lockett got married at the Ford Plantation and the couple was absolutely stunning! The Ford Plantation was owned by Henry Ford and the property was part of 70,000 acres that he purchased in the 1920's!

They got married under a beautiful oak tree and then moved the party to the yard behind one of the beautiful plantation homes on the river. It felt like a Gatsby party scene.

All of the details were beautiful and complimented the couple so well. J and I really enjoyed the "low country lemonade" specialty drink while walking along the water and taking in the view. I enjoyed how handsome my husband looked too!

We had the best time in Savannah and celebrating Shayda + Lockett. We felt so lucky to be able to attend their special day and that we got to spend time with some great friends.

Friday, September 21, 2012

After our weekend away and recent house guests, we are going to take it easy this weekend. We will take in the last day of Summer getting caught up on yard work and time together. I am also hoping that I can get J to finally try Bell Street Burritos!

Can you believe tomorrow is officially Fall? I sure am ready - now I'm just crossing my fingers that it sticks around for a while!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

We had the best time in Savannah. As soon as we arrived, we headed to Forsyth Park for a wedding weekend welcome lunch. We were able to see our friends (including baby Henry) for a bit and we even got to bring Townes to the festivities!

Since we had walked from the carriage house, we decided to go ahead and walk towardsCity Marketand River Street. On our way downtown, we stopped in the shopSCAD store to see all of the amazing handmade items made by local students. It was especially nice because they allowed us to bring Townes into the store while we walked around! I loved that Savannah was so dog-friendly!

Then we walked down to the river and got a praline sample while Townes cautiously checked out the river below.

Then we headed to City Market and ended up grabbing a few beers and sangria's at the Cafe City Market. I had the most incredible GA peach sangria and then a watermelon sangria. I definitely recommend a stop for sangria's if you are ever in the area! It worked out well, because while we rested (well...Townes rested) it started to pour down rain so thankfully we avoided the downpour.

We walked around a bit more before grabbing an early pizza dinner at Vinnie Van Go Go's (one of our favorite's)! We made sure to order enough to take home for a late dinner since we assumed we'd get hungry again.

The walk home was great and we enjoyed a quiet night in. It was so lovely to take it easy and enjoy the company of my boys.

♥♥♥

Stay tuned for our adventure at Fort Pulaski and the beautiful wedding!